by Brittney Melton

August 7, 2025

Good morning. Dungeons & Dragons started in the 1970s, but has gained popularity in the past decade. Now the game is in its stadium era, bringing in a sold-out crowd. Here’s the news we’re following today:

Five soldiers were injured at Fort Stewart, Ga., yesterday after an Army sergeant opened fire on his coworkers. The alleged shooter has been identified as Sgt. Quornelius Radford, who worked in automated logistics. Several soldiers who witnessed the shooting were able to tackle Radford and subdue him. The shooting victims are in stable condition, and Radford is in custody.

A sign outside the main gate of Fort Stewart, Georgia. It reads, “Welcome to Fort Stewart, Georgia - An Army Community of Excellence.”

Russ Bynum/AP

🎧 Law enforcement is talking to Radford to try to uncover the motive behind the shooting, Emily Jones of NPR’s network station WABE tells Up First. Radford has been stationed at Fort Stewart since 2022, and the weapon used was his own handgun, according to Army officials. Authorities are looking into how he was able to get his own gun onto the military base. Brigadier Gen. John Lubas, during a press conference yesterday, reassured people that the base was safe and well guarded.

President Trump’s higher import taxes on several countries take effect today. For the last four months, the U.S. has charged a 10% tax on most of what we import. Now, goods from Europe, Japan and South Korea will face a 15% tax. Countries like the Philippines, Switzerland and South Africa will be impacted by even higher tax rates. Canada is already feeling the effects of the higher rates as taxes on their goods jumped to 35% last week.

🎧 McDonald’s is one of the companies feeling the impacts of the tariffs. Executives stated this week they are concerned because many of their customers are price-sensitive, says NPR’s Scott Horsley. The company’s CEO, Chris Kempczinski, says industry-wide customers are not spending as freely as they were a year ago, most likely due to the anxiety around tariffs. Kempczinsky explains that many customers are trading down within their menu or skipping the drive-thru altogether. McDonald’s is not alone. Across the economy, there is evidence that import taxes are raising prices and slowing growth.

Trump says there’s a “very good prospect” that he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy soon in an effort to end the war between their two countries. This development comes after what Trump described as highly productive talks between U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin yesterday. According to statements from Russia, a meeting between Trump and Putin could take place next week.

🎧 It is unclear whether Putin has offered any concessions to get this meeting, says NPR’s Franco Ordoñez. Putin has long wanted to be able to speak with the president face-to-face. The meeting would be a big deal as this would be the first between Putin and a U.S. president since 2021, when former President Joe Biden was in office. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview with Fox Business that the White House now knows concrete examples of things that Russia would ask for to end the war. Rubio said that Russia and Ukraine would need to make concessions, and a ceasefire would be a key step.

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A pair of hands typing on a laptop keyboard, surrounded by the floating text “AI.” The background is light blue, and the concept revolves around artificial intelligence and modern technology.

Ekaterina Goncharova/Moment RF/Getty Images

AI tools are becoming increasingly popular with students who need help with their homework, and AI knows that. Last week, OpenAI launched “study mode,”which is meant to act like a tutor, in its chatbot. But is AI comparable to old-school tools like textbooks and online helpers like Quizlet and Chegg? NPR’s Ayana Archie spoke with platforms and students who have used them to see how they are acclimating to the new resources.

📝 Chegg, a site that sells textbooks and offers digital services like generating flash cards, is incorporating AI models. This includes a new feature that displays side-by-side panels with answers to a question alongside answers from platforms such as ChatGPT and Claude.
📝 Many students are combining traditional methods with AI tools. But around 50% of students feel that excessive reliance on AI could harm their academic performance, according to research from the Digital Education Council in 2024.
📝 Some professors are assigning more work that must be handwritten or completed in class to attempt to prevent plagiarism and the overuse of AI.

Karen Wagner, wearing a green romper and a hot pink crossbody bag, speaks with Rep. Mike Flood, wearing a blue suit and tie, before a town hall at Kimball Recital Hall on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Rebecca S. Gratz for The Washington Post/Getty Images

Republican Rep. Mike Flood of Nebraska hosted a town meeting on Monday, where he felt the heat from his constituents over his support of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The event garnered over 700 attendees who shared their concerns that the legislation would impact social safety net programs like Medicaid. The crowd also questioned the president’s approach to immigration enforcement. Throughout the meeting, Flood was heckled as he tried to defend the president’s tax and spending measures. By the end of the town hall, which has gone viral, the crowd chanted “Vote him out!” Flood spoke with Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep about why it was important to have the meeting and his stance on the big budget bill.

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Claire's, the popular tween store known for ear-piercing and glitter, filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time in seven years yesterday.

The Aalborg Zoo in Denmark stirred up controversy after it asked people to donate their surplus pets, such as chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs, to be "gently euthanized" and fed to predators in captivity.

Bandleader and pianist Eddie Palmieri died yesterday at age 88. He won several Grammys over his career and was recognized as a NEA Jazz Master, one of the highest honors in jazz.

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This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.

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